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Get out your hard hats and run to the nearest drama bunker, because the floodgates have been opened.
A week ago Ashley Paramore released a video detailing her sexual assault at The Amazing Meeting (TAM) in Las Vegas, an annual skeptical conference put on by the James Randi Educational Foundation. At the time both Ashley and I gave kudos to JREF for handling the situation well. But now two more prominent women within the skeptic movement have started speaking out, and no kudos are going to be doled out here.
Dr. Karen Stollznow is a research fellow for JREF and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, as well as a co-host on skeptical podcasts and columnist for Skeptic magazine. She recently wrote a piece for Scientific American detailing the years of sexual harassment and even sexual assault she experienced from a coworker at her previous employer (emphasis mine throughout this post):
From late 2009 onwards I made repeated requests for his personal communication to cease but these were ignored. He began manipulating the boundaries by contacting me on the pretext of it being work-related. Then came the quid pro quo harassment. He would find opportunities for me within the company and recommend me to television producers, but only if I was nicer to him. One day the company offered me an honorary position that I'd worked hard for, but he warned me that he had the power to thwart that offer. I threatened to complain to his employer, but he bragged that another woman had accused him of sexual harassment previously and her complaints were ignored. According to him, she had been declared "batshit crazy". Then, he saw me at conferences and took every opportunity to place me in a vulnerable position. This is where the psychological abuse turned physical and he sexually assaulted me on several occasions.
It didn't take long for people to figure out the person. Her accused harasser and assaulter is Ben Radford, deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirer and host of Monster Talk. You may better remember him from his "take down" of a 4 year old girl where he insisted women like pink for evolutionary reasons, his dishonest representation of studies on eating disorders in order to support his hypothesis that the media doesn't affect women's body images, or his recent assertion that he is "over rape.
And the company in question was none other than the Center for Inquiry, who unfortunately did not handle the situation well according to Dr. Stollznow:
When I approached them with my accusations they appeared to be compassionate initially. I spent many hours explaining my story over the phone and days submitting evidence. Then they hired an attorney to collect the facts and I had to repeat the process. I provided access to my email account. I also devoted two days to face-to-face discussions about my ordeal. This "fact collector" also collected a lot of hearsay from my harasser, about how I'm a slut and "batshit crazy". This tactic of the accused is so common it's known as the "nut and slut" strategy. I soon learned that the attorney was there to protect them, not me.
Five months after I lodged my complaint I received a letter that was riddled with legalese but acknowledged the guilt of this individual. They had found evidence of "inappropriate communications" and "inappropriate" conduct at conferences. However, they greatly reduced the severity of my claims. When I asked for clarification and a copy of the report they treated me like a nuisance. In response to my unanswered phone calls they sent a second letter that refused to allow me to view the report because they couldn't release it to "the public". They assured me they were disciplining the harasser but this turned out to be a mere slap on the wrist. He was suspended, while he was on vacation overseas. They offered no apology, that would be an admission of guilt, but they thanked me for bringing this serious matter to their attention. Then they asked me to not discuss this with anyone. This confidentiality served me at first; I wanted to retain my dignity and remain professional. Then I realized that they are trying to silence me, and this silence only keeps up appearances for them and protects the harasser.
The situation has disadvantaged me greatly. I have lost a project I once worked on, I have had to disclose highly personal information to colleagues, and I don't think that I'll be offered work anymore from this company. Perhaps that's for the best considering the way they have treated me. I have since discovered that this company has a history of sexual harassment claims. They also have a track record of disciplining these harassers lightly, and then closing ranks like good ol' boys. Another colleague assured me this was better than their previous custom of simply ignoring claims of sexual harassment.
This news is especially troubling in light of CFI's recent controversy with their CEO Ron Lindsay's contemptuous remarks during his opening speech at the Women in Secularism 2 conference and their board of directors' tepid non-response. The negative environment at CFI caused their Point of Inquiry podcast to jump ship and move to Mother Jones. CFI has posted a vague reply to Dr. Stollznow's article.
I am doubly glad that I asked to be removed from CFI's speakers bureau (which they did, even though they never had the common courtesy to reply to my email at all or address my concerns).
CFI is not the only organization involved in Dr. Stollznow's troubles. The assaults she described occurred at TAM. Carrie Poppy, former communication director for the JREF, has spoken out about how poorly JREF handled the situation:
1. Dr. Stollznow says that she was assaulted at the James Randi Educational Foundation's (JREF) annual conference, The Amazing Meeting (TAM) on three separate occasions. Dr. Stollznow is a research fellow for the JREF, and is a respected speaker at TAM. The person who she says assaulted her is Ben Radford, another speaker at TAM and a long-time ally of the JREF's. I am not speaking to the legal validity of these claims, as I have no legal expertise on the matter, but I believe Karen's account, given the information she's relayed to me in private, which I won't recount here.
2. Dr. Stollznow says she made these alleged assaults known to JREF president D.J. Grothe several months ago, but according to Karen, he declined to do anything about the matter.
3. CFI told Dr. Stollznow that they would only be reprimanding their employee for his behavior. Dr. Stollznow let Mr. Grothe know that she felt her harassment and assault were being treated as nothing more than a grievance among friends, and Grothe responded, " I am happy to learn from you that the CFI has responded to your complaints with the seriousness they deserve." (see attachment 1).
4. Dr. Stollznow requested that Mr. Grothe assure her that her alleged assailant would not be at future JREF events, for her safety and the safety of others at future events. Mr. Grothe declined to ban the speaker, saying, "there are at present no such plans" to have Mr. Radford speak at a JREF event, more than a year before the next TAM, and well before speaking engagements are secured (see attachment 2).
5. Dr. Stollznow approached the JREF board, asking them to intervene in Mr. Grothe's bizarre behavior, and make a commitment not to have the speaker in question at future JREF events. Their response: "JREF does not and will not have a blacklist" (see attachment 3).
Isn't it comforting to know that JREF doesn't have a blacklist, even for speakers who have sexual assault against other speakers? Those are some great morals you're upholding there, JREF. I'm sure it has to do with "free speech" or something, right?
But that's not the only issues JREF has. Carrie Poppy's time there was short and ended abruptly, and she now speaks out about some of the reasons why:
In my time at the JREF, I witnessed continuous unethical behavior, much of which I reported to the Board of Directors. I was assured on more than one occasion by James Randi that D.J. Grothe would be fired (I hear Randi denies this now, though he repeatedly promised it to another staff member as well, and that staff member and I represented the entirety of JREF full-time staff other than D.J. and his husband, Thomas), but after several months of waiting and being asked to wait, it became clear that D.J. was not going to be fired. The list of problems that I sent to the board was so long that my pasting it here would be comical at best, but it is relevant to note that although I didn't list it, Mr. Grothe's prejudice toward women was one undeniable factor. My predecessor, Sadie Crabtree, had warned me about D.J.'s misogyny and disrespect for women coworkers (she even advised me not to take the position, due to this issue), but I thought myself strong enough to endure it. I underestimated the degree to which such constant mistreatment can beat a person down. As I mentioned, I only lasted six months.
The final straw, for me, was that Mr. Grothe attempted to remove me as a speaker from the Women in Secularism 2 conference, going above my head (and Melody Hensley's head) to her male boss, Ron Lindsay, and telling him that it would be bad for the JREF's image if I attended a "feminist conference." In defending his actions to me, D.J. told me he didn't trust me to handle the event, saying I would be asked if he was a sexist (an unanswerable question in his mind, apparently) and that I might break down in tears crying about my own sexual assault, if the issue of rape arose. I was given no credit for the fact that I am a professional spokesperson with almost a decade of experience, that I have a successful skeptical podcast, am a published author, and that my personal assault experience makes my opinions on assault more relevant, not less. To him, I was a hysterical woman, nothing more.
This is ludicrous. I don't even know what I could possibly say, other than this:
Thank you, Karen and Carrie. Thank you for having the bravery to come out and speak about your experiences. I wish it didn't require bravery to do so, but sadly we're a community that thinks the proper response to "guys, don't do that" is years of harassment and rape threats. Thank you for speaking up, because the more people who speak up, the safer this community will be. I hope this gives the strength for others to be open about their experiences and start naming names. I know many women have come to me with similar horrible stories or specific examples of harassment from prominent speakers, but I can't speak for them – the people who experienced it need to be the ones who speak up. And we need to create an environment where that is possible.
Thank you.


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subset: commoncrawl


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President Joan Hinde Stewart rang the Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Thursday, May 24, at 4 p.m., as part of the bicentennial celebration of the NY State Board of Regents signing of the college's charter on May 26, 1812. Joining her on the podium were Richard Bernstein '80, Robert Delaney, Jr. '79, Daniel Fielding '07, Jack Levy '75, George (Jeff) Little '71, Stephen Sadove '73, Susan Skerritt K'77, David Solomon '84, and Richard Tantillo.
Other events marking the 200th anniversary of the charter's signing include:
- U.S. Representative Richard Hanna sponsored a statement in the Congressional Record on Tuesday, May 15.
- On Tuesday, May 22, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand read a resolution into the Congressional Record honoring the college.
- The New York State Senate passed a resolution recognizing Hamilton's anniversary sponsored by Senator Joseph A. Griffo and co-sponsored by Senator David J. Valesky on Wednesday, May 23.
- On Thursday, May 24, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand introduced a resolution to commemorate the 200th anniversary and to celebrate the college's sustained commitment to its charter.
- The College Arboretum will host an event that includes remarks from Professor John H. O'Neill, co-chair of the Bicentennial Committee on Saturday, May 26.
- On Wednesday, May 30, the town of Kirkland will issue a proclamation acknowledging the College's 200th anniversary.
- Reunions will be held from May 31 to June 3. A highlight will be the Bicentennial Meeting of the Alumni Association Saturday morning (it will be webcast for those unable to return to campus)


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Before coming to Babington House School in January 2013, Tim Lello worked as the Senior Tutor at Queen's College London.
He has previously worked as a boarding housemaster at Cranbrook School, was the Head of History at Aldenham School and was a history teacher and day housemaster at St Albans School.
He was educated at St John's College Cambridge Preparatory School, King's School Bruton and the Universities of Newcastle, London and Jesus College, Cambridge where, alongside his academic pursuits he developed a passion for music and sport. He still enjoys playing competitive hockey and sings in a professional opera company when work commitments allow.
Jasmine who studied Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Physics comments "The small classes and the exceptionally supportive teachers made the step-up from GCSE to A level a lot easier. Babington House School has provided me with great new opportunities and a brilliant sixth form experience. Having studied four difficult academic A levels I was supported throughout. I am delighted with my A level results and am now very excited about my next steps after leaving school."
"At Babington the communication between staff and pupils is excellent. The small class sizes help you to focus and get extra help if needed. In the two years I've spent at Babington I have been surrounded by people who have a drive for me to succeed, which is inspiring. I have been given opportunities that would not have been available to me at any other sixth form. The teachers and staff always go the extra mile for the students and I cannot believe how fast my time at Babington has gone." Chloe studied Maths, Further Maths, and Biology.
Pedro, a Maths and Science student says, "Not only does the school provide great experiences outside of school, it also provides lots of chances during school – like the UK maths challenge and having your own society – it provides support to take part in anything you want to do. Because of Babington, we were able to achieve incredible results and go off to great Universities. With the sixth form being small compared to others, the school is able to concentrate so much knowledge and care onto one student. There is a constant sense of belonging that will never fade."
Zach, who also studied Maths and Science says, "I would like to thank everyone who has made my time at Babington House as enjoyable as it has been. Without this opportunity I don't think I would be able to achieve as much as I have so far. Although there aren't many of use, we have bonded well as a unit and have formed friendships that will last a lifetime."
"Coming to Babington House has given me lots of fun memories, the chance to be taught by great teachers who are always willing to help us reach our goals, and has allowed me to meet so many smart and talented individuals who have made the past two years truly enjoyable!" says Mariam who studied Maths, Further Maths, Biology and Chemistry.
On leaving sixth form Nifemi comments "For me there is no singular memory that could encapsulate the constant feeling of belonging at Babington House. The greetings every morning from various teachers even those who did not teach me, the few words of encouragement during exam season, even just a smile. I have had a truly fantastic time and the saying is true, big things come in small packages for in this small school I have made great friends."
Ryan-Mark studied English Literature, History and Politics. He said "Babington House pushes you to do well, there is an expectation to always do your best and improve each time. I was supported with my academic studies as well as outside the classroom; for example, I've had work experience at the Houses of Parliament, Matrix Chambers, American Internal Group and more. A friendly community of students, teachers and parents make this school unique."
Florence studied English, Maths and German. She said "I can honestly say Babington has been the best experience of my life. The staff and pupils are equally as friendly and willing to help, not just with academic issues, but personal too. I know that once I leave Babington (after 13 years!) I will be a well-rounded individual who is able to work both in a team and independently. The level of education at Babington is second-to-none, and I am sure that the skills I've developed will be called upon all through my life. The teachers here push you, but in a way that is constructive, and it really does make you work hard. I know that I wouldn't have reached the stage I am at now without the teachers' support and persistence."
"It's been good to have a change from an all boys' school", comments Ed; "The move to a co-educational Sixth Form has enabled me to adapt to different situations and is preparing me for life at University and beyond. The work experience is a massive bonus and makes you learn faster and grow in confidence."
Top small independent School in England for A level results 2018 with 68% A* and A grades.
At A Level, pupils have achieved 80% A* to B grades in the past three years.
Inspiring Teachers, Inspiring Children


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Mani Monday – Art Deco Nail Art with China Glaze for Jump Back Ball 22
Saturday night, the boyfriend and I headed downtown to Cleveland's Playhouse Square for the 22nd Annual Jump Back Ball and we had a blast. At least what I can remember of it. I may have mixed wine, beer and liquor and that just may have resulted in a slightly fuzzy memory of the night not to mention the worst hangover ever, oy! Lesson learned… eat more prior and HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE.
Regardless of my alcohol intake, mistakes were made, I had a fabulous time with my boyfriend and friends at what is one of the best parties in Cleveland. And thanks to all of your fantastic suggestions, I rocked a manicure worthy of a Penny from Happy Endings "ah-MAH-zing."
You submitted so many creative and chic manicure ideas that it was hard to choose. Though it was Maureen's comment that included the words "Art Deco" that spoke to me the most. That is exactly the style I was aiming for and her suggestion of a chevron moon manicure, perfectly complimented my overall look. I combined her comment with Whitney's color concept of a silver foil moon with a blue/green nail, I opted for blue, and my manicure was complete.
I started with a two coats of China Glaze Icicle from the 2011 Holiday collection. It's gorgeous foil, similar to Orly Shine, that gives great coverage. I debated using China Glaze Millennium, a chrome, but the bonus of a foil is that it dries fast and is more forgiving of application errors.
Once Icicle was dry, I used blue painter's tape to create the chevron moons. I cut the tape straight across to create a right angle and placed it about a third of the way up the nail. I applied two coats of China Glaze Blue Year's Eve, also from the 2011 Holiday collection, and pulled up the tape immediately after the second coat. Tip: I cut the tape at a slightly wider angle for the thumbs, to keep the moons looking balanced.
I did my nails early Saturday morning so I could focus on getting the rest of me Jump Back Ball ready. First stop, the MAC Cosmetics counter at the Beachwood Place Nordstrom. My good friend Christine works there on weekends and she created a stunning blue-grey smokey eye with lashes (#36 are the business) and a beautiful berry Pro Longwear Lipcreme, Positively Dashing. Fun fact: I met Christine over 8 years ago on Specktra (a MAC makeup forum) and she has a salon size OPI rack full of nail polish. Love her!
Post makeup, I curled my hair with my Enzo Milano Clipless Wand and clipped one side back with the brooch turned hair comb I showed you on Thursday.
A little accessorizing and I was ready to go.
The boyfriend and I pre-partied with friends at the hotel and between the pudding shots (champagne and fireball flavored), the bubbly and an "icing" for a recently engaged couple, we were already in high spirits before we even arrived at Playhouse Square.
Each year, the event has a theme and this year it was Jump Back Two Spaces, so all the board games we grew up loving were represented in some way. Candyland, Clue, Monopoly, etc. And what's really fun is that some people opt to come in costume instead of formal wear. There were a lot of Clue characters, naturally, but I spotted some more obscure and creative costumes in the crowd.
All said and done, it was a fabulous night spent chatting, dancing and drinking with great friends. Pictured below: Allison from Confessions of a CLE Habitant, Tabitha from Fabulously Tabitha, Lisa aka Lzone (follow her on Twitter, she's hilar!) and Alexa from Cleveland's A Plum and Jen from Sports Stole My Man. I loved getting to meet new people as well, like fellow blogger, Nadine from Blog – The New Black and readers who recognized me and wanted to see what I selected for my nails. So cool!
So what do you think of my final nail look? Did I make the right choice? What type of moon manicure do you prefer, the more traditional curved moon or the angular chevron style?
Maureen and Whitney, I'll email you soon. Thanks again to everyone who submitted a manicure idea. You all are the best!
Disclosure: I paid for everything mentioned in this post except the two China Glaze nail polishes which were provided by reps for China Glaze. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.


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IYA2009 Updates
5 March 2010
IYA2009 Galilean Nights award winners announced!
The IYA2009 Cornerstone project Galilean Nights ran during October 2009 and saw thousands of individuals and organisations host a wide range of events to popularise astronomy and highlight the importance of Galileo's legacy. Now that event reports have been collated the Galilean Nights awards can be announced. There are six categories, each with a winner and two highly commended entries. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/829/
Global Astronomy Month Update
Registrations for GAM are now open! Those who are planning to take part in Global Astronomy Month this April can now register their events at: http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/index.php/projects/global-astronomy-month/events.html
Once registered, make sure your event bears the GAM fingerprints. You can find several promotional products with the GAM logo at: http://www.cafepress.com/gamawb
Stay in touch with the latest from GAM Starting this week, GAM has a weekly newsletter with all the updates on projects and events. Subscribe to be in touch with the progress of one of the largest outreach programmes this year: http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/index.php/projects/global-astronomy-month/news/newsletter.html
At the same time, the newsletter is a tool for sharing ideas. If you have news about your GAM activities that you would like the world to know about, send them to email@example.com
Clockwork Skies digital planetarium show free to download and use
Participants of the Spring 2010 Blender Production Workshop were set a challenging task: develop their own skills by creating an immersive fulldome planetarium show under very strict time limits. The result is the entertaining yet informative show Clockwork Skies. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/830/
She is an Astronomer conference
Celebrating success and seeking solutions
Date: 22 and 23 April 2010
Venue: Royal Astronomical Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, UK
To celebrate the ending of the IYA2009 Cornerstone Project "She is an Astronomer", a conference is being held in London. The conference will be opened by Prof Jocelyn Bell Burnell. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/828/
Careers in Astronomy
The IAU has published a new theme about Careers in Astronomy: http://www.iau.org/public/careers/
Bareket Observatory brings cutting-edge science education within reach
Bareket Observatory (Israel) introduces teachers and students from around the country to other colleagues from all over the globe and provides them with the scaffolding to perform research projects in their classroom. Students are participating at the projects by using the observatory's on-line activities and completing observations on its state of the art remote internet telescope, analysing the data and interpreting their results. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/826/
Galileo Teacher Training Program: deadline extended
The Galileo Teacher Training Program has decided to extend the deadline of the call for proposals to 25 March 2010. More information: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/768/
First Light: Photography & Astronomy exhibition
First Light: Photography & Astronomy will be held at the Huis Marseille Museum for Photography in Amsterdam between 6 March and 30 May 2010. It will comprise a first-time combination of unique historical astronomy photographs, from Dutch collections, and present-day images made by famous telescopes and space probes such as ESO, Hubble and Cassini. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/824/
Space Education and Outreach Symposium call for abstracts
Space Education and Outreach Symposium at this year's International Astronautical Congress is taking place in Prague at the end of September. This symposium deals with activities, methods and techniques for formal and informal space education at different educational levels, space outreach to the general public, space workforce development, etc. Each of the sessions in the symposium features an invited key note speaker followed by presentation of selected papers. Symposium sessions may also include panel discussions. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/823/
March issue of Practical Astronomy magazine is available to download for free
Practical Astronomy is a new magazine, distributed for free by means of digital download from the internet. The magazine is published by Structure Ltd (a UK registered company) in PDF format, making it readable and printable by most computers in the World. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/820/
Help to collect stories about the stars
The project "The Sky of our grandparents" involves the general public, in particular ancient people and rural and isolated populations, in collecting traditional stories in order to discover old myths and ancient knowledge of astronomy before they become lost. http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/821/
Hubble resources ready to use
The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies has compiled a list of Hubble Space Telescope related resources to aid in the popularisation of astronomy and space education. The highlights of these resources have been listed on a single webpage. Examples include exploring the history of the telescope from Galileo to today, spacewalks, servicing missions, and IMAX ® Hubble 3D. To see the list, and for additional information, please visit: http://topstars.strategies.org/resources.html
Search IYA2009 Updates
National Nodes: 148
Organisational Nodes: 40
Organisational Associates:33
National Websites: 111
Cornerstone Projects: 12
Special Task Groups: 11
Special Projects:16
Official Products:8
Media Partners:22


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I know I don't post here like I used to.
A lot of things have hampered me in collecting, mostly a lack of money to buy cards and I haven't been able to get to a few shows because of a lack of transportation, and a recent move, my cards are in boxes and I'm not able to get to them.
Anyway, through my Twitter page I found a couple of new sites, one is Cheap Card Collecting where they have a contest going on to win some cool cards, so head over there, and if you win a Brennan Boesch card, send it my way.
I hope to get back to doing some more collecting soon, I really need to get into those boxes and clean out some things.


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CST Fiberglass 7.6m 'E' Pattern Staff
7.6 meter telescopic 6 section fibreglass staff from CST with surveyors 'E' 10mm graduation.
This rugged, 7.6 meter rectangular-shaped leveling grade rod is made from corrosion-resistant and non-conductive fiberglass.
The rod features abrasion-resistant coating with special reinforcement fiberglass ribs to stop breakage and add stability. This rod has easy-to-read graduations. It's also a dual-purpose tool since it has a special measuring ruler scale on the backside which will permit users to read height at eye level. To use the measuring ruler on the back, just extend the rod up until it hits the desired length (underneath an overhang or bridge for example), then read the measurement at the smallest unextended section which is at eye-level.
This will give you the distance from tip-to-tip of the rod. This rod is equipped with reliable and long lasting spring loaded Delrin buttons.
A Nylon Carrying Case that has Velcro and Carrying Handles is included.
- Max. Extended Height: 7.6m
- Closed Height: 1.5m
- Measurement Units: Metric E reading, metric 5mm height scale on reverse
- Weight: 2.72kg
Product | Details | Price |
CST Fiberglass 7.6m 'E' Pattern Staff | 7.6m Staff and carry bag |


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The quest Blindsided is the one of the main Story Missions in Borderlands 2.
Playthrough Mode | Level | Reward |
Normal Mode | 1 | $10 53 XP |
True Vault Hunter | 33 | $378 14,012 XP |
- Make your way through the glacier to get Claptrap's eye back from Knuckle Dragger
- Kill Knuckle Dragger and get Claptrap's eye back
- Find Sir Hammerlock
First thing's first: look around Claptrap's Place and loot everything you can. While you shouldn't have to worry about running out of ammo just yet, it's a good habit to get into. Once you're done looting, follow Claptrap outside and down the path. Eventually you'll come across your first batch of enemies, Monglets. These guys are pretty weak and predictable, so you should dispatch them all without a problem. Once you're done, resume following Claptrap down the ledge (don't worry, there's no fall damage!) where you'll have to protect Claptrap from another batch of Monglets along with the bigger Brat Bullymongs. After killing them all, approach Claptrap, dig him up, and continue (or if you're a bit of a sadist or just want to here some funny dialog, wait a while).
Continue following Claptrap and you'll soon realize the bullymong that stole Claptrap's eye is nearby. Knuckle Dragger is the first mini-boss you'll face in the game, though he shouldn't be too tough. Just keep hitting him in the head and eventually he'll die. At some point in the fight he'll jump up to a ledge and call minions, so be ready to take those out. You can still kill him while he's on the ledge too, no need to wait until he jumps back down.
Knuckle Dragger also has a small chance to drop the legendary pistol, the Hornet.
(NOTE: For farming purposes, you can "hang back" on a far ledge (basically, ledge/valley/Knuckle Draggers location). He'll then jump to where you are. You can also shoot and kill him from this far back location, eliminating any possibility of his friends joining the battle!)
Once you defeat Knuckle Dragger he will drop Claptrap's eye. Pick it up and continue on to the next area, where you'll get to open your first loot chest. Grab the gear and turn the mission into Claptrap to get your reward!
Knuckle Dragger is dead, and you got Claptrap's eye back! Now you just need to find someone to reinstall it for him.


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What Happens If I Ignore My Student Loans?
By some estimates, nearly one in three student loan borrowers in repayment are behind on their payments. Some of those borrowers may be paying as much as they can, when they can, but others may feel their debt is hopeless and are taking the ostrich approach instead.
Others, like Credit.com blog reader Laurie, aren't even sure about the status of their loans. She wrote: "I am working toward my master's and the loans I have used are deferred. I took one year off school and didn't realize I was delinquent on my loans."
"Ignoring your debt only makes it worse," may sound cliche, but when it comes to these loans in particular, there is truth in that adage.
Student loans don't just go away, and the consequences of making no attempt to pay or resolve them can be severe. But what does happen if you ignore your student loans?
You'll get deeper in debt. Interest will continue to accrue and your balances that seem so daunting now will get even larger. Loans that go to collections will incur additional collection costs of up to 25%. Ouch! (State law may limit collection costs.)
Your credit scores will suffer. Late payments will appear on your credit reports and your credit scores will go down. Negative information may be reported for up to seven years, and for many graduates their credit scores are more important than their college GPAs when it comes to real life.
You will eventually go into default. Most federal loans are considered to be in default when a payment has not been made for 270 days. Once you are in default, the government has "extraordinary powers" to collect, as we'll describe in a moment.
Private student loans are a bit different. The definition of "default" depends on the contract, and may include simply missing one payment or the death of a co-borrower. Private loan lenders don't have the same collection powers as the federal government but they can sue the borrower, and if they are successful, then use whatever means available under state law to collect the judgment.
"When it comes to private student loan debt, the one axiom people need to remember is doing nothing will generally leave you really, really screwed," says Steve Rhode, founder of GetOutofDebt.org.
You may have to kiss your tax refund goodbye. Expecting a tax refund? If you have a federal student loan in default, the federal government may intercept it.
Married filing jointly? Your spouse's portion of the refund may be at risk too, and they may have to file an injured spouse claim to recover it after the fact. (Private student loan lenders cannot intercept tax refunds.)
Your wages may be garnished. Normally, a creditor must successfully sue you in court in order to garnish your wages, and even if they are successful, there may be state limits on whether and how much income can be taken. But if you are in default with a federal student loan, the government may garnish up to 15% of your disposable pay.
You may be able to challenge the garnishment under certain circumstances, but in the meantime, do you really want your employer to know you are in serious trouble with your loans?
Any co-borrowers are in as much trouble as you are. Anyone who co-signed a student loan for you is on the hook 100% for the balance. It doesn't matter if it was your 80-year-old grandmother who co-signed for you; she is going to be pressured to pay and may be at risk for the same consequences you face.
You may be sued. Lawsuits are less common with federal loans than with private ones. (After all, why would the government sue when it has so many other ways to collect?) But a lawsuit is always a possibility especially if you ignore your student loans.
If you are sued, you may find you need the help of an attorney experienced in student loan law to raise a defense against the lawsuit.
You'll be haunted by this debt until you die. It may sound blunt, but it's the reality. Student loan debt will not go away if you ignore it. There is no statute of limitations on federal loans, which means there is no limit on how long you can be sued. State statute of limitations do apply to private student loans, however, limiting the amount of time they have to sue to collect. But it doesn't stop them from trying to collect from you -- and if you don't know your rights it may go on indefinitely. "The biggest tragedy is all of that could be easily avoided by enrolling in one of the government programs to help people repay debt," says Rhode. He is referring to programs available for federal loans such as Income-based Repayment (IBR) that allow some borrowers to qualify for a lower monthly payment based on income, and then discharge the remaining balance after a certain number of years of repayment.
But What if You Can't Afford to Pay?
If you're now convinced that you can't ignore your loans, but you also are afraid because you don't think you can afford to pay them, what can you do? For starters, get your free annual credit reports so you can see which loans are being reported by whom. Then get your free credit score using a service like Credit.com so you have a clear understanding of how this debt is affecting your credit. You can also use the National Student Loan Database to track down your loans. For federal loans, you can get back on track with a reasonable and affordable payment plan. Start the process at StudentLoans.gov. (Be careful if you talk with a collector or servicer about your options. Some provide borrowers with accurate information, but some do not.)
For private loans, Rhode recommends you talk with an attorney who understands how to discharge certain private student loans in bankruptcy. It can be tough to qualify, but not impossible. If that's not an option, you may be able to try to negotiate a settlement. >While it's never a good idea to ignore loans, there are times when a borrower simply cannot afford his or her loan payments. That's especially true in the case of private loans, which don't offer the same flexible options as federal ones. "If you can't pay, you can't pay," says attorney Joshua Cohen, who is known as The Student Loan Lawyer. "Your living expenses are more important than your private loans, and your federal loans are more important than your private loans," he says. "It is important to prioritize."
Read More from Credit.com
Can You Get Your Student Loans Forgiven?


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Schubert Club advocates contemporary recital music and commissions composers to create pieces for specific artists and occasions. Composers commissioned by Schubert Club include Dominick Argento, Cary John Franklin, Libby Larsen, Stephen Paulus, Paul Schoenfield, and David Evan Thomas. Two of these commissioned works have won Pulitzer Prizes: Dominick Argento's From the Diary of Virginia Woolf in 1975 and Aaron Jay Kernis's String Quartet #2 (musica instrumentalis) in 1998.
Dominick Argento
From the Diary of Virginia Woolf , 1975
Commissioned by Schubert Club for mezzo-soprano Dame Janet Baker
Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1975
Premiered by Ms. Baker and Martin Isepp, piano in Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, Jan 1975
Recorded on D'note Classics DND-1019
Published by Boosey & Hawkes
The Andrée Expedition, 1982
A Schubert Club Centennial Commission
Premiered by Håkan Hagegård, baritone and Thomas Schuback, piano
Recorded by Benngt Nordfors, tenor and Bengt Forsberg, piano on Nosag CD-021
Published by Boosey & Hawkes
A Few Words About Chekhov, 1996
Premiered by Frederica Von Stade, mezzo-soprano; Håkan Hagegård, baritone; and Martin Katz, piano, at Ordway Music Theatre in 1996
Published by Boosey & Hawkes
Abbie Betinis
Nattsanger (Nightsongs), 2008
Commissioned by Schubert Club
Awards: Honorable Mention, ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, 2009
McKnight Artist Fellowship, 2009 (Primary Work Sample)
Premiered by: Jennifer Swanson, soprano; Philip Everingham, piano; Chris Raddatz, clarinet (Ultan Recital Hall, Minneapolis, MN)
Recorded: Fleur de Son Classics (https://www.classicalarchives.com/newca/#!/Album/73177)
Publisher: Abbie Betinis Music Co.
Randall Davidson
Kittyhawk for violin and piano, 1987
Premiered February 1987 by Liba Shacht, violin and Gary Hammond, piano
Cary John Franklin
Falls Flyer, 1999
Premiered in 1999 by Merilee Klemp, oboe and Chris Kachian, guitar
Recorded on Schubert Club's 10,000 Lakes label: Falls Flyer SC115
An Emily Dickinson Cycle, 1987
Premiered in 1987 by Janice Meyerson, mezzo-soprano and Dennis Helmrich, piano
Juliana Hall
Night Dances, 1987
Commissioned by Schubert Club for soprano Dawn Upshaw
Premiered in December 1987 by Dawn Upshaw and Margo Garrett, piano
Edie Hill
Bow Echo, 1997
Premiered in October 1997 by Thomas Rutishauser, cello
David Kechley
Voices from the Garden for guitar quartet, 1994
Premiered January 1994 by the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet
Recorded by Albany Records
Aaron Jay Kernis
String Quartet #2 (musica instrumentalis), 1997
Awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Music in 1998
Premiered in New York's Merkin Hall in Jan 1998 by the Lark Quartet
Recorded on Arabesque Z6727 by the Lark Quartet
Published by Associated Music Publishers, Inc.
Libby Larsen
Fire and Brimstone for MIDI grand piano, 1996
Premiered in 1996 by Alex Braginsky
Raspberry Island Dreaming for soprano and orchestra, 2002
Commissioned for the dedication of the Raspberry Island Bandstand, Text by Patricia Hampl and Joyce Sutphen
Premiered September 2002 by Kimberly Barber, soprano and The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra conducted by Andreas Delfs
Bruce MacCombie
Nightshade Rounds for guitar solo, 1977
Co-commissioned by Schubert Club for guitarist Sharon Isbin
Premiered in New York's Alice Tully Hall in May 1983 by Sharon Isbin
Recorded on EMI/Virgin Classics #45024
Published by Helicon Music Corporation
Arthur Maud
In te Domine speravi (Psalm 31) for a cappella SATB, 2001
Text translation by Christopher Brunelle and Joyce Sutphen
Premiered December 2001 by The Rose Ensemble
Jeffrey Mumford
A landscape of interior resonances for solo piano, 2000
Premiered March 2003 by John Jensen
Stephen Paulus
Artsongs for tenor and piano, 1982
A Schubert Club Centennial Commission
Poems by Rilke, W.C. Williams, Wilbur Sadoff, O'Hara, Logan
Premiered May 1983 by Paul Sperry, tenor and Irma Vallecillo, piano
Recorded on Albany TROY036
Published by European-American Music
Ned Rorem
Nine Episodes for Four Players for clarinet, violin, cello and piano, 2001
Premiered in May 2002 on the Music in the Park Series by Burt Hara, Stephen Copes, Anthony Ross and Pedja Muzijezic
Paul Schoenfield website
Peccadilloes for piano solo, 1995
Commissioned for pianist Christopher O'Riley
Premiered December 1996 at the Ordway Music Theatre by Christopher O'Riley
Three Intermezzi for Piano Solo, 2003
Commissioned for pianist Anne-Marie McDermott
Premiered March 2004 at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts by Anne-Maire McDermott
Tatyana Sergeyeva
Two Movements for Two Pianos, 1996
Commissioned for pianists Irina and Julia Elkina
Premiered in December 1996 at the Ordway Music Theatre by the Elkina Sisters
David Evan Thomas
Sonata for Oboe and Guitar, 1999
Premiered April 1999 by Merilee Klemp, oboe and Chris Kachian, guitar
Recorded 2002 on Schubert Club's 10,000 Lakes label:Falls Flyer, SC115
Greetings and a Farewell for violin and piano, 1997
Commissioned in celebration of Schubert Bicentennial
Premiered April 1997 by Michael Sutton, violin and John Jensen, piano
The Healing Fountain for violin, cello and piano, 2001
Premiered September 2002 at the Raspberry Island Bandstand by Kyu Young Kim, Sarah Lewis and Layton James
Joan Tower
Snow Dreams for flute and guitar, 1982
A Schubert Club Centennial Commission
Premiered April 1983 by Sharon Isbin & Carol Wincenc
Recorded on New World 80470-2
Published by Associated Music Publishers, Inc.
Zhang Ying
Spring Water (stone xylophone solo), 2000
Premiered February 2000 by Philip Blackburn on a Schubert Club Courtroom Concert


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The Enigma machines were a series of electro-mechanical rotor cipher machines developed and used in the early- to mid-twentieth century to protect commercial, diplomatic and military communication. Enigma was invented by the German engineer Arthur Scherbius at the end of World War I. Early models were used commercially from the early 1920s, and adopted by military and government services of several countries, most notably Nazi Germany before and during World War II. Several different Enigma models were produced, but the German military models, having a plugboard, were the most complex. However, Japanese and Italian models were also in use.
- Design
- Electrical pathway
- Rotors
- Stepping
- Turnover
- Entry wheel
- Reflector
- Plugboard
- Accessories
- Schreibmax
- Fernlesegert
- Uhr
- Mathematical analysis
- Basic operation
- Details
- Indicator
- Additional details
- History
- Commercial Enigma
- Enigma A 1923
- Enigma B 1924
- Enigma C 1926
- Enigma D 1927
- Enigma H 1929
- Enigma K
- Funkschlssel C
- Enigma G 19281930
- Wehrmacht Enigma I 19301938
- Two extra rotors 1938
- Surviving machines
- Derivatives
- In popular culture
- References
Around December 1932, Marian Rejewski of the Polish Cipher Bureau used the theory of permutations and flaws in the German military message procedures to break the message keys of the plugboard Enigma machine. Rejewski did that without knowing the machine wiring, so the result did not allow the Poles to read any messages. However, the French had a spy with access to German cipher materials that included the daily keys used in September and October 1932. Those keys included the plugboard settings. The French gave the material to the Poles, and Rejewski used some of that material and the message traffic in September and October to solve for the unknown rotor wiring. Consequently, the Poles were able to build their own Enigma machines, which were called Enigma doubles. Rejewski was aided by cryptanalysts Jerzy Różycki and Henryk Zygalski, both of whom had been recruited with Rejewski from Poznań University. The Polish Cipher Bureau developed techniques to defeat the plugboard and find all components of the daily key, which enabled the Cipher Bureau to read the German's Enigma messages. Over time, the German cryptographic procedures improved, and the Cipher Bureau developed techniques and designed mechanical devices to continue breaking the Enigma traffic. As part of that effort, the Poles exploited quirks of the rotors, compiled catalogs, built a cyclometer to help make a catalog with 100,000 entries, made Zygalski sheets and built the electro-mechanical cryptologic bomb to search for rotor settings. In 1938, the Germans added complexity to the Enigma machines that finally became too expensive for the Poles to counter. The Poles had six bomby, but when the Germans added two more rotors, ten times as many bomby were needed, but the Poles did not have the resources.
On 26 and 27 July 1939, in Pyry near Warsaw, the Poles initiated French and British military intelligence representatives into their Enigma-decryption techniques and equipment, including Zygalski sheets and the cryptologic bomb, and promised each delegation a Polish-reconstructed Enigma. The demonstration represented a vital basis for the later British continuation and effort. During the war, British cryptologists decrypted a vast number of messages enciphered on Enigma. The intelligence gleaned from this source, codenamed "Ultra" by the British, was a substantial aid to the Allied war effort.
Though Enigma had some cryptographic weaknesses, in practice it was German procedural flaws, operator mistakes, failure to systematically introduce changes in encipherment procedures, and Allied capture of key tables and hardware that, during the war, enabled Allied cryptologists to succeed and "turned the tide" in the Allies' favor.
Like other rotor machines, the Enigma machine is a combination of mechanical and electrical subsystems. The mechanical subsystem consists of a keyboard; a set of rotating disks called rotors arranged adjacently along a spindle; and one of various stepping components to turn at least one rotor with each key press.
Electrical pathway
The mechanical parts act in such a way as to form a varying electrical circuit. When a key is pressed, one or more rotors move to form a new rotor configuration, and a circuit is completed. Current flows through various components in the new configuration, ultimately lighting one display lamp, which shows the output letter. For example, when encrypting a message starting ANX..., the operator would first press the A key, and the Z lamp might light, so Z would be the first letter of the ciphertext. The operator would next press N, and then X in the same fashion, and so on.
Current flowed from the battery (1) through a depressed bi-directional keyboard switch (2) to the plugboard (3). Next, it passed through the (unused in this instance, so shown closed) plug "A" (3) via the entry wheel (4), through the wiring of the three (Wehrmacht Enigma) or four (Kriegsmarine M4 and Abwehr variants) installed rotors (5), and entered the reflector (6). The reflector returned the current, via an entirely different path, back through the rotors (5) and entry wheel (4), proceeding through plug "S" (7) connected with a cable (8) to plug "D", and another bi-directional switch (9) to light the appropriate lamp.
The repeated changes of electrical path through an Enigma scrambler implemented a polyalphabetic substitution cipher that provided Enigma's security. The diagram on the right shows how the electrical pathway changed with each key depression, which caused rotation of at least the right-hand rotor. Current passed into the set of rotors, into and back out of the reflector, and out through the rotors again. The greyed-out lines are other possible paths within each rotor; these are hard-wired from one side of each rotor to the other. The letter A encrypts differently with consecutive key presses, first to G, and then to C. This is because the right-hand rotor has stepped, sending the signal on a completely different route. Eventually other rotors step with a key press.
The rotors (alternatively wheels or drums, Walzen in German) formed the heart of an Enigma machine. Each rotor was a disc approximately 10 cm (3.9 in) in diameter made from hard rubber or bakelite with 26 brass, spring-loaded, electrical contact pins arranged in a circle on one face; the other side housing the corresponding number of circular plate electrical contacts. The pins and contacts represent the alphabet—typically the 26 letters A–Z (this will be assumed for the rest of this description). When the rotors were mounted side-by-side on the spindle, the pins of one rotor rested against the plate contacts of the neighbouring rotor, forming an electrical connection. Inside the body of the rotor, 26 wires connected each pin on one side to a contact on the other in a complex pattern. Most of the rotors were identified by Roman numerals, and each issued copy of rotor I was wired identically to all others. The same was true for the special thin beta and gamma rotors used in the M4 naval variant.
By itself, a rotor performs only a very simple type of encryption—a simple substitution cipher. For example, the pin corresponding to the letter E might be wired to the contact for letter T on the opposite face, and so on. Enigma's security came from using several rotors in series (usually three or four) and the regular stepping movement of the rotors, thus implementing a polyalphabetic substitution cipher.
When placed in an Enigma, each rotor can be set to one of 26 possible positions. When inserted, it can be turned by hand using the grooved finger-wheel, which protrudes from the internal Enigma cover when closed. So that the operator can know the rotor's position, each had an alphabet tyre (or letter ring) attached to the outside of the rotor disk, with 26 characters (typically letters); one of these could be seen through the window, thus indicating the rotational position of the rotor. In early models, the alphabet ring was fixed to the rotor disk. A later improvement was the ability to adjust the alphabet ring relative to the rotor disk. The position of the ring was known as the Ringstellung ("ring setting"), and was a part of the initial setting prior to an operating session. In modern terms it was a part of the initialization vector.
Each rotor contained a notch (or more than one) that controlled rotor stepping. In the military variants, the notches are located on the alphabet ring.
The Army and Air Force Enigmas were used with several rotors, initially three. On 15 December 1938, this changed to five, from which three were chosen for a given session. Rotors were marked with Roman numerals to distinguish them: I, II, III, IV and V, all with single notches located at different points on the alphabet ring. This variation was probably intended as a security measure, but ultimately allowed the Polish Clock Method and British Banburismus attacks.
The Naval version of the Wehrmacht Enigma had always been issued with more rotors than the other services: at first six, then seven, and finally eight. The additional rotors were marked VI, VII and VIII, all with different wiring, and had two notches, resulting in more frequent turnover. The four-rotor Naval Enigma (M4) machine accommodated an extra rotor in the same space as the three-rotor version. This was accomplished by replacing the original reflector with a thinner one and by adding a thin fourth rotor. That fourth rotor was one of two types, Beta or Gamma, and never stepped, but could be manually set to any of 26 positions. One of the 26 made the machine perform identically to the three-rotor machine.
To avoid merely implementing a simple (and easily breakable) substitution cipher, every key press caused one or more rotors to step by one twenty-sixth of a full rotation, before the electrical connections were made. This changed the substitution alphabet used for encryption, ensuring that the cryptographic substitution was different at each new rotor position, producing a more formidable polyalphabetic substitution cipher. The stepping mechanism varied slightly from model to model. The right-hand rotor stepped once with each keystroke, and other rotors stepped less frequently.
The advancement of a rotor other than the left-hand one was called a turnover by the British. This was achieved by a ratchet and pawl mechanism. Each rotor had a ratchet with 26 teeth and every time a key was pressed, the set of spring-loaded pawls moved forward in unison, trying to engage with a ratchet. The alphabet ring of the rotor to the right normally prevented this. As this ring rotated with its rotor, a notch machined into it would eventually align itself with the pawl, allowing it to engage with the ratchet, and advance the rotor on its left. The right-hand pawl, having no rotor and ring to its right, stepped its rotor with every key depression. For a single-notch rotor in the right-hand position, the middle rotor stepped once for every 26 steps of the right-hand rotor. Similarly for rotors two and three. For a two-notch rotor, the rotor to its left would turn over twice for each rotation.
The first five rotors to be introduced (I–V) contained one notch each, while the additional naval rotors VI, VII and VIII each had two notches. The position of the notch on each rotor was determined by the letter ring which could be adjusted in relation to the core containing the interconnections. The points on the rings at which they caused the next wheel to move were as follows.
The design also included a feature known as double-stepping. This occurred when each pawl aligned with both the ratchet of its rotor and the rotating notched ring of the neighbouring rotor. If a pawl engaged with a ratchet through alignment with a notch, as it moved forward it pushed against both the ratchet and the notch, advancing both rotors. In a three-rotor machine, double-stepping affected rotor two only. If in moving forward the ratchet of rotor three was engaged, rotor two would move again on the subsequent keystroke, resulting in two consecutive steps. Rotor two also pushes rotor one forward after 26 steps, but since rotor one moves forward with every keystroke anyway, there is no double-stepping. This double-stepping caused the rotors to deviate from odometer-style regular motion.
With three wheels and only single notches in the first and second wheels, the machine had a period of 26 × 25 × 26 = 16,900 (not 26 × 26 × 26, because of double-stepping). Historically, messages were limited to a few hundred letters, and so there was no chance of repeating any combined rotor position during a single session, denying cryptanalysts valuable clues.
To make room for the Naval fourth rotors, the reflector was made much thinner. The fourth rotor fitted into the space made available. No other changes were made, which eased the changeover. Since there were only three pawls, the fourth rotor never stepped, but could be manually set into one of 26 possible positions.
A device that was designed, but not implemented before the war's end, was the Lückenfüllerwalze (gap-fill wheel) that implemented irregular stepping. It allowed field configuration of notches in all 26 positions. If the number of notches was a relative prime of 26 and the number of notches were different for each wheel, the stepping would be more unpredictable. Like the Umkehrwalze-D it also allowed the internal wiring to be reconfigured.
Entry wheel
The current entry wheel (Eintrittswalze in German), or entry stator, connects the plugboard to the rotor assembly. If the plugboard is not present, the entry wheel instead connects the keyboard and lampboard to the rotor assembly. While the exact wiring used is of comparatively little importance to security, it proved an obstacle to Rejewski's progress during his study of the rotor wirings. The commercial Enigma connects the keys in the order of their sequence on a QWERTZ keyboard: Q
With the exception of models A and B, the last rotor came before a 'reflector' (German: Umkehrwalze, meaning 'reversal rotor'), a patented feature unique to Enigma among the period's various rotor machines. The reflector connected outputs of the last rotor in pairs, redirecting current back through the rotors by a different route. The reflector ensured that Enigma is self-reciprocal: conveniently, encryption was the same as decryption. However, the reflector also gave Enigma the property that no letter ever encrypted to itself. This was a severe conceptual flaw and a cryptological mistake subsequently exploited by codebreakers.
In Model 'C', the reflector could be inserted in one of two different positions. In Model 'D', the reflector could be set in 26 possible positions, although it did not move during encryption. In the Abwehr Enigma, the reflector stepped during encryption in a manner similar to the other wheels.
In the German Army and Air Force Enigma, the reflector was fixed and did not rotate; there were four versions. The original version was marked 'A', and was replaced by Umkehrwalze B on 1 November 1937. A third version, Umkehrwalze C was used briefly in 1940, possibly by mistake, and was solved by Hut 6. The fourth version, first observed on 2 January 1944, had a rewireable reflector, called Umkehrwalze D, allowing the Enigma operator to alter the connections as part of the key settings.
The plugboard (Steckerbrett in German) permitted variable wiring that could be reconfigured by the operator (visible on the front panel of Figure 1; some of the patch cords can be seen in the lid). It was introduced on German Army versions in 1930, and was soon adopted by the Reichsmarine (German Navy). The plugboard contributed more cryptographic strength than an extra rotor. Enigma without a plugboard (known as unsteckered Enigma) can be solved relatively straightforwardly using hand methods; these techniques are generally defeated by the plugboard, driving Allied cryptanalysts to develop special machines to solve it.
A cable placed onto the plugboard connected letters in pairs; for example, E and Q might be a steckered pair. The effect was to swap those letters before and after the main rotor scrambling unit. For example, when an operator presses E, the signal was diverted to Q before entering the rotors. Up to 13 steckered pairs might be used at one time, although only 10 were normally used.
Current flowed from the keyboard through the plugboard, and proceeded to the entry-rotor or Eintrittswalze. Each letter on the plugboard had two jacks. Inserting a plug disconnected the upper jack (from the keyboard) and the lower jack (to the entry-rotor) of that letter. The plug at the other end of the crosswired cable was inserted into another letter's jacks, thus switching the connections of the two letters.
Other features made various Enigma machines more secure or more convenient.
Some M4 Enigmas used the Schreibmax, a small printer that could print the 26 letters on a narrow paper ribbon. This eliminated the need for a second operator to read the lamps and transcribe the letters. The Schreibmax was placed on top of the Enigma machine and was connected to the lamp panel. To install the printer, the lamp cover and light bulbs had to be removed. It improved both convenience and operational security; the printer could be installed remotely such that the signal officer operating the machine no longer had to see the decrypted plaintext.
Another accessory was the remote lamp panel Fernlesegerät. For machines equipped with the extra panel, the wooden case of the Enigma was wider and could store the extra panel. A lamp panel version could be connected afterwards, but that required, as with the Schreibmax, that the lamp panel and lightbulbs be removed. The remote panel made it possible for a person to read the decrypted plaintext without the operator seeing it.
In 1944, the Luftwaffe introduced a plugboard switch, called the Uhr (clock), a small box containing a switch with 40 positions. It replaced the standard plugs. After connecting the plugs, as determined in the daily key sheet, the operator turned the switch into one of the 40 positions, each producing a different combination of plug wiring. Most of these plug connections were, unlike the default plugs, not pair-wise. In one switch position, the Uhr did not swap letters, but simply emulated the 13 stecker wires with plugs.
Mathematical analysis
The Enigma transformation for each letter can be specified mathematically as a product of permutations. Assuming a three-rotor German Army/Air Force Enigma, let
After each key press, the rotors turn, changing the transformation. For example, if the right-hand rotor
Combining three rotors from a set of five, the rotor settings with 26 positions, and the plugboard with ten pairs of letters connected, the military Enigma has 158,962,555,217,826,360,000 (nearly 159 quintillion) different settings.
Basic operation
A German Enigma operator would be given a plaintext message to encrypt. For each letter typed in, a lamp indicated a different letter according to a pseudo-random substitution, based upon the wiring of the machine. The letter indicated by the lamp would be recorded as the enciphered substitution. The action of pressing a key also moved the rotor so that the next key press used a different electrical pathway, and thus a different substitution would occur. For each key press there was rotation of at least the right hand rotor, giving a different substitution alphabet. This continued for each letter in the message until the message was completed and a series of substitutions, each different from the others, had occurred to create a cyphertext from the plaintext. The cyphertext would then be transmitted as normal to an operator of another Enigma machine. This operator would key in the cyphertext and—as long as all the settings of the deciphering machine were identical to those of the enciphering machine—for every key press the reverse substitution would occur and the plaintext message would emerge.
In use, the Enigma required a list of daily key settings and auxiliary documents. In German military practice, communications were divided into separate networks, each using different settings. These communication nets were termed keys at Bletchley Park, and were assigned code names, such as Red, Chaffinch, and Shark. Each unit operating in a network was given the same settings list for its Enigma, valid for a period of time. The procedures for German Naval Enigma were more elaborate and more secure than those in other services and employed auxiliary codebooks. Navy codebooks were printed in red, water-soluble ink on pink paper so that they could easily be destroyed if they were endangered.
An Enigma machine's setting (its cryptographic key in modern terms; Schlüssel in German) specified each operator-adjustable aspect of the machine:
For a message to be correctly encrypted and decrypted, both sender and receiver had to configure their Enigma in the same way; rotor selection and order, ring positions, plugboard connections and starting rotor positions must be identical. Except for the starting positions, these settings were established beforehand, distributed in key lists and changed daily. For example, the settings for the 18th day of the month in the German Luftwaffe Enigma key list number 649 (see image) were as follows:
Enigma was designed to be secure even if the rotor wiring was known to an opponent, although in practice considerable effort protected the wiring configuration. If the wiring is secret, the total number of possible configurations has been calculated to be around 3 x 10114 (approximately 380 bits); with known wiring and other operational constraints, this is reduced to around 1023 (76 bits). Users of Enigma were confident of its security because of the large number of possibilities; it was not then feasible for an adversary to even begin to try a brute force attack.
Most of the key was kept constant for a set time period, typically a day. However, a different initial rotor position was used for each message, a concept similar to an initialisation vector in modern cryptography. The reason is that encrypting many messages with identical or near-identical settings (termed in cryptanalysis as being in depth), would enable an attack using a statistical procedure such as Friedman's Index of coincidence. The starting position for the rotors was transmitted just before the ciphertext, usually after having been enciphered. The exact method used was termed the indicator procedure. Design weakness and operator sloppiness in these indicator procedures were two of the main weaknesses that made cracking Enigma possible.
One of the earliest indicator procedures was used by Polish cryptanalysts to make the initial breaks into the Enigma. The procedure was for the operator to set up his machine in accordance with his settings list, which included a global initial position for the rotors (the Grundstellung, meaning ground setting), say, AOH. The operator turned his rotors until AOH was visible through the rotor windows. At that point, the operator chose his own arbitrary starting position for that particular message. An operator might select EIN, and these became the message settings for that encryption session. The operator then typed EIN into the machine, twice, to allow for detection of transmission errors. The results were an encrypted indicator—the EIN typed twice might turn into XHTLOA, which would be transmitted along with the message. Finally, the operator then spun the rotors to his message settings, EIN in this example, and typed the plaintext of the message.
At the receiving end, the operation was reversed. The operator set the machine to the initial settings and typed in the first six letters of the message (XHTLOA). In this example, EINEIN emerged on the lamps. After moving his rotors to EIN, the receiving operator then typed in the rest of the ciphertext, deciphering the message.
The weakness in this indicator scheme came from two factors. First, use of a global ground setting—this was later changed so the operator selected his initial position to encrypt the indicator, and sent the initial position in the clear. The second problem was the repetition of the indicator, which was a serious security flaw. The message setting was encoded twice, resulting in a relation between first and fourth, second and fifth, and third and sixth character. This security problem enabled the Polish Cipher Bureau to break into the pre-war Enigma system as early as 1932. However, from 1940 on, the Germans changed procedure.
During World War II, codebooks were only used each day to set up the rotors, their ring settings and the plugboard. For each message, the operator selected a random start position, let's say WZA, and a random message key, perhaps SXT. He moved the rotors to the WZA start position and encoded the message key SXT. Assume the result was UHL. He then set up the message key, SXT, as the start position and encrypted the message. Next, he transmitted the start position, WZA, the encoded message key, UHL, and then the ciphertext. The receiver set up the start position according to the first trigram, WZA, and decoded the second trigram, UHL, to obtain the SXT message setting. Next, he used this SXT message setting as the start position to decrypt the message. This way, each ground setting was different and the new procedure avoided the security flaw of double encoded message settings.
This procedure was used by Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe only. The Kriegsmarine procedures on sending messages with the Enigma were far more complex and elaborate. Prior to encryption the message was encoded using the Kurzsignalheft code book. The Kurzsignalheft contained tables to convert sentences into four-letter groups. A great many choices were included, for example, logistic matters such as refueling and rendezvous with supply ships, positions and grid lists, harbour names, countries, weapons, weather conditions, enemy positions and ships, date and time tables. Another codebook contained the Kenngruppen and Spruchschlüssel: the key identification and message key.
Additional details
The Army Enigma machine used only the 26 alphabet characters. Punctuation was replaced with rare character combinations. A space was omitted or replaced with an X. The X was generally used as period or full-stop.
Some punctuation marks were different in other parts of the armed forces. The Wehrmacht replaced a comma with ZZ and the question mark with FRAGE or FRAQ.
The Kriegsmarine replaced the comma with Y and the question mark with UD. The combination CH, as in "Acht" (eight) or "Richtung" (direction), was replaced with Q (AQT, RIQTUNG). Two, three and four zeros were replaced with CENTA, MILLE and MYRIA.
The Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe transmitted messages in groups of five characters.
The Kriegsmarine, using the four rotor Enigma, had four-character groups. Frequently used names or words were varied as much as possible. Words like Minensuchboot (minesweeper) could be written as MINENSUCHBOOT, MINBOOT, MMMBOOT or MMM354. To make cryptanalysis harder, messages were limited to 250 characters. Longer messages were divided into several parts, each using a different message key.
The Enigma family included multiple designs. The earliest were commercial models dating from the early 1920s. Starting in the mid-1920s, the German military began to use Enigma, making a number of security-related changes. Various nations either adopted or adapted the design for their own cipher machines.
An estimated 100,000 Enigma machines were constructed. After the end of World War II, the Allies sold captured Enigma machines, still widely considered secure, to developing countries.
Commercial Enigma
On 23 February 1918, German engineer Arthur Scherbius applied for a patent for a cipher machine using rotors and, with E. Richard Ritter, founded the firm of Scherbius & Ritter. They approached the Kaiserliche Marine (German Navy) and Foreign Office with their design, but neither was interested. Scherbius & Ritter then assigned the patent rights to Gewerkschaft Securitas, who founded the Chiffriermaschinen Aktien-Gesellschaft (Cipher Machines Stock Corporation) on 9 July 1923; Scherbius and Ritter were on the board of directors.
Enigma A (1923)
Chiffriermaschinen AG began advertising a rotor machine—Enigma model A—which was exhibited at the Congress of the International Postal Union in 1924. The machine was heavy and bulky, incorporating a typewriter. It measured 65×45×38 cm and weighed about 50 kilograms (110 lb).
Enigma B (1924)
In 1924 Enigma model B was introduced, and was of a similar construction. While bearing the Enigma name, both models A and B were quite unlike later versions: they differed in physical size and shape, but also cryptographically, in that they lacked the reflector.
Enigma C (1926)
The reflector—suggested by Scherbius's colleague Willi Korn—was introduced in Enigma C (1926).
Model C was smaller and more portable than its predecessors. It lacked a typewriter, relying on the operator; hence the informal name of "glowlamp Enigma" to distinguish it from models A and B.
Enigma D (1927)
The Enigma C quickly gave way to Enigma D (1927). This version was widely used, with shipments to Sweden, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, Spain, United States and Poland. In 1927 Hugh Foss at the British Government Code and Cypher School was able to show that commercial Enigma machines could be broken provided that suitable cribs were available.
Other countries used Enigma machines. The Italian Navy adopted the commercial Enigma as "Navy Cipher D". The Spanish also used commercial Enigma during their Civil War. British codebreakers succeeded in breaking these machines, which lacked a plugboard. Enigma were also used by diplomatic services.
Enigma H (1929)
There was also a large, eight-rotor printing model, the Enigma H, called Enigma II by the Reichswehr. In 1933 the Polish Cipher Bureau detected that it was in use for high-level military communications, but that it was soon withdrawn, as it was unreliable and jammed frequently.
Enigma K
The Swiss used a version of Enigma called model K or Swiss K for military and diplomatic use, which was very similar to commercial Enigma D. The machine was cracked by Poland, France, the United Kingdom and the United States (the latter codenamed it INDIGO). An Enigma T model (codenamed Tirpitz) was used by Japan.
Once the British broke the Enigma, they fixed the problem with it and created their own, which the Germans believed to be unsolvable.
Funkschlüssel C
The Reichsmarine was the first military branch to adopt Enigma. This version, named Funkschlüssel C ("Radio cipher C"), had been put into production by 1925 and was introduced into service in 1926.
The keyboard and lampboard contained 29 letters—A-Z, Ä, Ö and Ü—which were arranged alphabetically, as opposed to the QWERTZUI ordering. The rotors had 28 contacts, with the letter X wired to bypass the rotors unencrypted. 3 rotors were chosen from a set of five and the reflector could be inserted in one of four different positions, denoted α, β, γ and δ. The machine was revised slightly in July 1933.
Enigma G (1928–1930)
By 15 July 1928, the German Army (Reichswehr) had introduced their own exclusive version of the Enigma machine; the Enigma G.
The Abwehr used the Enigma G (the Abwehr Enigma). This Enigma variant was a four-wheel unsteckered machine with multiple notches on the rotors. This model was equipped with a counter which incremented upon each key press, and so is also known as the "counter machine" or the Zählwerk Enigma.
Wehrmacht Enigma I (1930–1938)
Enigma machine G was modified to the Enigma I by June 1930. Enigma I is also known as the Wehrmacht, or "Services" Enigma, and was used extensively by German military services and other government organisations (such as the railways) before and during World War II.
The major difference between Enigma I (German Army version from 1930), and commercial Enigma models was the addition of a plugboard to swap pairs of letters, greatly increasing cryptographic strength.
Other differences included the use of a fixed reflector and the relocation of the stepping notches from the rotor body to the movable letter rings. The machine measured 28 cm × 34 cm × 15 cm (11.0 in × 13.4 in × 5.9 in) and weighed around 12 kg (26 lb).
In August 1935, the Air Force introduced the Wehrmacht Enigma for their communications.
By 1930, the Reichswehr had suggested that the Navy adopt their machine, citing the benefits of increased security (with the plugboard) and easier interservice communications. The Reichsmarine eventually agreed and in 1934 brought into service the Navy version of the Army Enigma, designated Funkschlüssel ' or M3. While the Army used only three rotors at that time, the Navy specified a choice of three from a possible five.
Two extra rotors (1938)
In December 1938, the Army issued two extra rotors so that the three rotors were chosen from a set of five. In 1938, the Navy added two more rotors, and then another in 1939 to allow a choice of three rotors from a set of eight.
A four-rotor Enigma was introduced by the Navy for U-boat traffic on 1 February 1942, called M4 (the network was known as Triton, or Shark to the Allies). The extra rotor was fitted in the same space by splitting the reflector into a combination of a thin reflector and a thin fourth rotor.
Surviving machines
The effort to break the Enigma was not disclosed until the 1970s. Since then, interest in the Enigma machine has grown. Enigmas are on public display in museums around the world, and several are in the hands of private collectors and computer history enthusiasts.
The Deutsches Museum in Munich has both the three- and four-rotor German military variants, as well as several civilian versions. Enigma machines are exhibited at the National Codes Centre in Bletchley Park, the Government Communications Headquarters, the Science Museum in London, the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw, the Swedish Army Museum (Armémuseum) in Stockholm, the Military Museum of A Coruña in Spain, the Nordland Red Cross War Memorial Museum in Narvik, Norway, The Artillery, Engineers and Signals Museum in Hämeenlinna, Finland the Technical University of Denmark in Lyngby, Denmark, and at the Australian War Memorial and in the foyer of the Defence Signals Directorate, both in Canberra, Australia. The Jozef Pilsudski Institute in London exhibits a rare Polish Enigma double assembled in France in 1940.
In the United States, Enigma machines can be seen at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, and at the National Security Agency's National Cryptologic Museum in Fort Meade, Maryland, where visitors can try their hand at enciphering and deciphering messages. Two machines that were acquired after the capture of U-505 during World War II are on display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois. A four rotor device is on display in the ANZUS Corridor of the Pentagon on the second floor, A ring, between corridors 9 and 10. This machine is on loan from Australia. The United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs has a machine on display in the Computer Science Department. There's also a machine located at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. The Museum of World War II in Boston has seven Enigma machines on display, including a U-Boat four-rotor model, one of three surviving examples of an Enigma machine with a printer, one of fewer than ten surviving ten-rotor code machines, an example blown up by a retreating German Army unit, and two three-rotor Enigmas that visitors can operate to encode and decode messages themselves.
In Canada, a Swiss Army issue Enigma-K, is in Calgary, Alberta. It is on permanent display at the Naval Museum of Alberta inside the Military Museums of Calgary. A 4-rotor Enigma machine is on display at the Military Communications and Electronics Museum at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Kingston in Kingston, Ontario.
Occasionally, Enigma machines are sold at auction; prices have in recent years ranged from US$40,000 to US$203,000 in 2011. Replicas are available in various forms, including an exact reconstructed copy of the Naval M4 model, an Enigma implemented in electronics (Enigma-E), various simulators and paper-and-scissors analogues.
A rare Abwehr Enigma machine, designated G312, was stolen from the Bletchley Park museum on 1 April 2000. In September, a man identifying himself as "The Master" sent a note demanding £25,000 and threatening to destroy the machine if the ransom was not paid. In early October 2000, Bletchley Park officials announced that they would pay the ransom, but the stated deadline passed with no word from the blackmailer. Shortly afterward, the machine was sent anonymously to BBC journalist Jeremy Paxman, missing three rotors.
In November 2000, an antiques dealer named Dennis Yates was arrested after telephoning The Sunday Times to arrange the return of the missing parts. The Enigma machine was returned to Bletchley Park after the incident. In October 2001, Yates was sentenced to 10 months in prison and served three months.
In October 2008, the Spanish daily newspaper El País reported that 28 Enigma machines had been discovered by chance in an attic of Army headquarters in Madrid. These 4-rotor commercial machines had helped Franco's Nationalists win the Spanish Civil War because, though the British cryptologist Alfred Dilwyn Knox in 1937 broke the cipher generated by Franco's Enigma machines, this was not disclosed to the Republicans, who failed to break the cipher. The Nationalist government continued using its 50 Enigmas into the 1950s. Some machines have gone on display in Spanish military museums, including one at the National Museum of Science and Technology (MUNCYT) in La Coruña. Two have been given to Britain's GCHQ.
The Bulgarian military used Enigma machines with a Cyrillic keyboard; one is on display in the National Museum of Military History in Sofia.
The Enigma was influential in the field of cipher machine design, spinning off other rotor machines. The British Typex was originally derived from the Enigma patents; Typex even includes features from the patent descriptions that were omitted from the actual Enigma machine. The British paid no royalties for the use of the patents, to protect secrecy. The Typex implementation is not the same as that found in German or other Axis versions.
A Japanese Enigma clone was codenamed GREEN by American cryptographers. Little used, it contained four rotors mounted vertically. In the U.S., cryptologist William Friedman designed the M-325, a machine logically similar, although not in construction.
A unique rotor machine was constructed in 2002 by Netherlands-based Tatjana van Vark. This device makes use of 40-point rotors, allowing letters, numbers and some punctuation to be used; each rotor contains 509 parts.
Machines like the SIGABA, NEMA, Typex and so forth, are deliberately not considered to be Enigma derivatives as their internal ciphering functions are not mathematically identical to the Enigma transform.
Several software implementations exist, but not all exactly match Enigma behaviour. The most commonly used software derivative (that is not compliant with any hardware implementation of the Enigma) is at EnigmaCo.de. Many Java applet Enigmas only accept single letter entry, complicating use even if the applet is Enigma compliant. Technically, Enigma@home is the largest scale deployment of a software Enigma, but the decoding software does not implement encipherment making it a derivative (as all original machines could cipher and decipher).
A user-friendly 3-rotor simulator, where users can select rotors, use the plugboard and define new settings for the rotors and reflectors is available. The output appears in separate windows which can be independently made "invisible" to hide decryption. Another includes an "autotyping" function which takes plaintext from a clipboard and converts it to cyphertext (or vice versa) at one of four speeds. The "very fast" option produces 26 characters in less than one second.


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Naughty Lesbian Daughter
Lisa Ann has been a maid for the Black family for many years and today she has lost her job. Mrs. Black has found a double ended dildo in Lisa's room. Sad thing is that the dildo doesn't belong to Lisa it belongs to Tori, Mrs. Blacks daughter. When Tori confesses to Lisa that the toys are in fact hers, Lisa takes matters into her own hands and teaches the young lesbian slut about being a lesbian. Lisa and Tori take turns licking each others asshole while pleasuring their juice pussies over and over again.|


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TO READ WE NEED NEW NAMES, a new novel by NoViolet Bulawayo, is to be plunked down in Paradise, a shantytown in Zimbabwe — running alongside 10-year-old Darling and her friends, stealing guavas, arms outstretched to meet the wind.
Bulawayo's writing holds the immediacy of a child's experience while her storytelling reveals enough about the political context in Zimbabwe to stimulate the adult mind. When we meet Darling, she is preparing to leave Paradise (recently bulldozed by the paramilitary) to join her aunt in America. As we follow her in this transition, the story becomes a personal exploration of the complexities borne of leaving one place behind and adjusting to another. In this way, Bulawayo builds on the work of Zadie Smith and Monica Ali, but while her themes excite the mind, the greatest impact of this novel is emotional. Bulawayo moves the reader beyond empathy: We Need New Names evokes experience.
Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Bulawayo recently earned her MFA at Cornell and is a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford. The opening chapter of We Need New Names won the 2011 Caine Prize for African Writing, while the novel has won praise from the likes of Junot Díaz. Most recently, We Need New Names was long-listed for the Man Booker prize.
A recent profile of Bulawayo in Publishers Weekly pointed out that the most striking thing about her novel is the choice of a 10-year-old narrator. Was Darling's voice a conscious choice? Reading the book, the voice doesn't feel like a choice. It feels natural, impulsive, and instinctive. Yet as I myself had recently finished writing a novel narrated by a 5-year-old, the question struck a chord with me. I wondered about Bulawayo's experience writing Darling.
– Claire Cameron
Claire Cameron: How did you come to write Darling in a 10-year old voice?
NoViolet Bulawayo: Her voice had spirit and presence, and promised to allow me to tell the story with more urgency.
CC: So was it her voice that spoke to you first? How did you find it?
NB: When I'm at my most successful things just happen on the page, and it was the same with Darling. I was actually writing the novel in a different voice and different structure when she arrived as one of the voices on the margins, but she eventually took over.
CC: I had a similar experience. Were you surprised to be overtaken by a 10 year old?
NB: Once I allowed the voice to exist, the writing became effortless. This in turn made the process of writing one of pleasure, which was new.
CC: Did you find it imposed limits on the way you told the story, or how you describe things?
NB: I did have to remember that I was dealing with children and had to be careful not to slip into an adult perspective, which was sometimes hard as I see and experience the world as an adult. But I'd say it was more of an interesting challenge than a limit.
I think with children, description, at least for me, is simpler and direct and tangible. Things are alive, because that is how children see the world.
CC: Did you do any research around her voice or age?
NB: Darling's voice was pretty easy, maybe because children are generally simple and straightforward, and there is no need to be "high sounding" with a child voice. Once I was aware of her presence I simply went back to my childhood, to the kid I was, to the kind of kids I played with in order to pin down her voice and perspective and age; that's really all I did. There didn't seem to be any need for research.
CC: Did you talk to 10 year olds and think about her outlook, or did you write from instinct?
NB: I had to rely on instincts and my own childhood, and it worked out just fine. I was, after all, writing most of the book on campus and there were no kids around me. If there were I'm sure they may have been a removed from Darling's experience, which would have affected their perspective.
CC: What did the child's voice allow you to do as a writer?
NB: It allowed me to play on the naivety and innocence and frankness of children to handle dense subject matter with an ease that may have otherwise been a bit more difficult had I been dealing with adult characters.
CC: Did the child's voice change the scope of the story or the subjects you took on?
NB: It made the book less charged, less weighed down by the political stuff that is happening in the background, which I think the book needed, especially as I remember my first drafts as trying to engage with the politics and ground the reader on what was happening. Children, while being sharp about the political landscape around them, are more concerned with the business of the everyday, of living, of play, and this is what We Need New Names became about.
CC: Did you have trouble leaving the 10-year-old Darling behind to find her as an older teen?
NB: I'll admit leaving the young Darling and her friends behind was sad business as they lived in my head and may very well have been real people. The older Darling is more subdued, understandably because she has to be — her move is such that she has to forge a new self to exist in the US, and that self is without all of the voice and spunk we encounter in Paradise because those are things that come partly from the location and who she is there.
CC: How much of the young Darling's experience reflects your own?
NB: Not that much. We experienced two different Zimbabwes. Darling and I can't sit down and talk about a common childhood — all she knew mostly was a country in crisis, something I cannot identify with from experience.
CC: How is it different for a child, rather than an adult, to move from Zimbabwe to a place in the US like Detroit?
NB: I watched my niece move from Zimbabwe to Kalamazoo, Michigan, when she was around five. I was jealous at how fast she adapted. She only spoke our language for a few days before she switched to English, understandably because she had cousins her age, and in a short while she was sounding like them. Her being a child with no strong ties to our Zimbabwean culture meant she simply sneezed Zimbabwe out and inhaled America and kept it moving.
I, on the other hand, seemed to struggle with everything. I remember I spent my first college year in silence in the classroom. Outside of that, I was too aware of it as a space that was not my home to fully melt into its melting pot. And then you add the small things like the weather (Michigan is cold), absence of friends, a new teenage culture etc., then yes, you have tough scenario that took me a while to adjust to!
CC: Do you think that being young changes the experience of a transition to a new country?
NB: I think it depends on the individual and of course their specific experience. For Darling it's not as seamless because she is recognizing America for what it is, which is not the dream she imagined, while at the same time waking up to the costs, to what has been lost.
Being an immigrant myself, and having met a lot of immigrants, I'm struck by this experience of transition, something that can be hard to the extent of affecting your relationship to the new country.
CC: How much did you look back on your own memories of transition?
NB: I looked back mostly for the purposes of character, for example to allow me to get into Darling's skin, and for the kind of material that I will always associate with my childhood, like religion, games played, but that is not to say that my memories were all relevant.
I grew up in a very different time in Zimbabwe; as part of the first generation of kids born after independence, I experienced stability, success, and normalcy and of course the Zimbabwe that I remember is terribly gone.
LARB Contributor
Claire Cameron's second novel, The Bear, will be published by Reagan Arthur Books/Little, Brown & Company in 2014. Her first novel, The Line Painter, was published by HarperCollins Canada; it won the Northern Lit Award from the Ontario Library Service and was nominated for an Arthur Ellis Crime Writing Award for best first novel. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Rumpus, The Millions, and The Globe and Mail. She lives in Toronto.
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Tag Archives: Toronto Raptors
Are you familiar with Itty Bitty Ballers? I think they're hysterical. When I saw the tv commercial last month, I knew I had to have one! I immediately went to www.ittybittyballers.ca and – to my surprise, of the nine original figurines, six were sold out! But what is the story behind this viral internet success? GoDaddy, the world's largest cloud platform dedicated to empowering small, independent business ventures, has just closed out their Itty Bitty Ballers campaign featuring Toronto Raptors center, "big man" Jonas Valančiūnas (JV). The campaign was focused around JV's mythical business, www.ittybittyballers.ca. The site displays his nine lifelike figurines that capture him in action poses, such as riding a Raptor, dabbing, and giving high fives. GoDaddy positioned our 7'0 centre as spending his spare time creating these miniature works of art. This juxtaposition was amusing and intriguing enough to drive customers to want to adopt the itty bitty JV's as their own. Two of the nine figurines sold out the day the campaign launched, and then once the campaign went viral on social media, the remainder sold out in less than 24 hours. From the outset, the advertising campaign (seen both on tv and online) seems comical, but through their product promotion, the team at GoDaddy managed to virally promote the ease of their solutions while supporting a small local business… all through the power of one itty bitty baller.


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A new paper in PLoS Genetics describes discoveries related to the genetics of male pattern baldness, with substantial contributions from the 23andMe community.
Led by Dr. Brent Richards of McGill University, the study combined genome-wide association data from seven cohorts, comparing men with "early onset" male pattern baldness with older men who had experienced little or no hair loss. The combined analysis allowed us to identify six new genetic factors associated with early onset baldness, in addition to replicating two previously known loci.
23andMe participants represented more than half of all the cases in the study — not that we have an unusual number of bald customers, it's just that we've got lots of data! We also used additional data provided by 23andMe participants to show that a risk score based on genotypes at the eight associated loci was strongly predictive of whether someone would report early onset male pattern baldness or not.Two of the new loci are in or near histone deacetylase genes HDAC4 and HDAC9. Histone deacetylases regulate expression of other genes by modifying histones, which are proteins responsible for packaging our long strands of DNA into the tiny spaces within the middle of cells.
One of the mechanisms cells use to regulate gene expression is to tightly bundle up and pack away the DNA of genes that should not be active, and to unpack and expose the DNA of genes that should be turned on. Both of these HDAC genes are thought to have roles in regulation of androgen hormone pathways, which are thought to play an important role in prostate cancer as well as male pattern baldness. Baldness and prostate cancer risk have been linked in several previous studies, and our new findings may help to explain these observations.
Unexpectedly, we found that one of the newly associated loci — in a region of chromosome 17 — is also associated with Parkinson's disease. 23andMe was uniquely positioned to further investigate this relationship, thanks to our existing Parkinson's disease community, many of whom have also taken our hair loss survey. This particular genomic region is special because it is spanned by a large, common inversion polymorphism — a long stretch of DNA that is flipped end-to-end in many people. A consequence of this rearrangement is that genes in this region tend to be inherited together, and it is difficult to say whether the shared association is due to variation in a single gene that affects both conditions, or due to variation in two unrelated genes inherited together due to the inversion. We found that even after accounting for this shared association, that men were still more likely to report both male pattern baldness and Parkinson's disease than would be expected by chance. This suggests that there may be additional shared genetic or environmental risk factors that predispose towards both conditions.
This study gives a nice example of a kind of question — bringing together information about genetics and seemingly very distantly related phenotypes — that is relatively easy to ask using the 23andMe customer community but would be very difficult in a traditional genetic research setting. These are all complex conditions with many genetic and environmental factors at play, and just because you have one condition doesn't necessarily mean you will develop the other conditions. But the idea that Parkinson's disease and male pattern baldness may share some genetic factors highlights interesting avenues for research into the biology underlying these two very different conditions. Similarly, the link between prostate cancer and male pattern baldness has been suggested in the past, but our new findings provide hints at possible mechanisms.